Corset.



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C 0 R S E T (Application led Aug. 17, 1901.)

(N0 Model.)

NITED STATES ATENT' muon.

4SALLIE G. MCCLAIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 709,238, dated September 16, 1902. Application filed August I7, 1901. Serial No. 72,456. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SALLIE G. MCCLAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Corsets, of which the following is a specication.

Myinvention relates to a new and useful improvement in corsets and the like, and has for its object to so construct a corset or the like that portions of the same will be i'lexible,.so as to'allow it to expand and contract to a certain limit with the movements of the wearer or allow for expansion or contraction while breathing. This I accomplish without the use of rubber or springs or other elastic agent, but the expansion is furnished by the method of sewing the corset, as will be hereinafter described.

With these ends in view this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claim.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, the construction andoperation will now be described in detail, referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a corset having my improvement applied thereto; and Fig. 2, a sectional view through a portion of the corset, showing the manner of constructing the elastic portion.

In the patent granted to me June 4, 1901, No. 67 5,7 87 I have shown, described, and claimed a corset which is adapted to be fastened at the side of the wearer, and which has, instead of the front husk-stays, an elastic portion and other elastic portions at different points. This form of a corset is fully covered in this patent; but my present method of cansing the corset to be expansible is designed to take the place of the elastic bands shown in the patent above referred to. While my present invention is designed lnore particularly for a corset of this description, it may be applied to other garments of like nature and at any place desired.

In Fig. l I have shown a corset made in accordance with my former patent, in which the front husk-stay is dispensed with and the expansible portion A takes its place. This expansible portion is formed by using a double thickness of material, (represen ted in Fig. 2 as B and B,) which thickness of materialBand B is then folded into a double fold, as illustrated at C. Lines of stitching D are then sewed horizontally across the double thickness of goods above and below the portion of the garment which is desired to be made elastic. Thedouble fold of the goods is then stitched through and through tightly together from the upper line of stitching D to the top of the corset, and from the lower line of stitchingD tothe bottom of the corset; but the double folds C between the horizontal line of stitching D are not stitched, and thereby are left free. This will give to the garment at this point a certain amount of expansion, as the folded portions C will be pulled only from one another as the body of the wearer expands in breathing or in other movements. In pulling away from one another the stays E upon each side of the folded portion will be necessarily bent away from one another between the lines of stitching D, and as the pressure is relaxed upon this portion of the corset the stays will natu rally assu me their normal position, which will also bring the folds back to their normal position ,and the natural tendency of the goods itself will be to resume its normal position after the pressure is relaxed, because of the fact that these folds are sewed tightly together by the lines of stitching D. While I have shown this expansible portion only applied to the front of the corset, it is obvious that it may be applied at any point desired, or it may be used in other garments of like nature which are adapted to follow the outline of the ligure and yet allow some expansion.

The advantage of my invention is thatby forming the expansible portion of the same goods as the corset is constructed of I not only cheapen the cost of manufacture, but do away with the necessity of using rubbelgmetal, or other elastic means, which are apt to become corroded or become useless through the effect of perspiration upon the same.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction here shown,as slight modiications could be made Without departing from the spirit of my invention-as, for in IDO stance, the stitching might be made in any other manner without affecting the novelty of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

5 what I claim as new and useful is In a corset a body having a double thickness of folded material at the front, parallel rows of stitching part way around the corset and vertical stitching through the folds from Io the upper and lower edges of the corset eX- tending to the first-named stitching, the folds between the first-named stitchingr being free to expand substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. Y

SALLIE G. MCCLAIN.

Witnesses:

H. B. HALLOCK, L. W. MORRISON. 

